Rise and Fall (Argent Chronicles)
by Don't fear the reaperXxX
Summary: If she was completely honest with herself she would say that everything she'd been taught and all that she was forced to believe in went out the window the moment she became tangled up in their mess. Nothing could've prevented her from opening up to him, from falling for him...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"This is going to be the year my sweet, dough eyed sister. I can feel it"

Caroline Argent joked as she pulled her sister along the dirt path leading to the lake. The eldest Argent laughed at her younger sister's enthusiasm, rolling her eyes at the blonde in front of her. She wasn't sure why but Caroline was always the optimistic one when their families constant moves were involved, even though she was far from being that. She just loved the adventures it brought while Allison hated any and every aspect of moving to a new town.

"That's what you say every time Care"

She retorted less enthusiastically but it didn't bother the small blonde who kept moving forward without missing a beat. She had learned to dismiss Allison's damper mood a long time ago, she perfected the 'ignore Allison' move when she realized her sister would never see things from her point of view. To Caroline moving meant a new start, new people to meet, new places to see and more often than not, new monsters to kill. She hated staying in one place for too long and even though every single therapist she was ever forced to see told her that being so detached was not a good thing she didn't see it that way. If she wasn't detached than she would end up like her sister, crying herself to sleep for days when their father's job made them up and leave.

"Let's not forget I'm always right"

She countered with a knowing smirk, throwing her sister a quick wink before letting go of her hand as they reached their destination.

The lake wasn't all that Caroline had expected it to be but it was something. People littered all around, loud obnoxious music blaring from the speakers of a baby blue Porsche parked by the trees and almost everyone there was drinking. Caroline's smirk grew at the sight in front of her, obnoxious music and cheap drinks, just what she needed.

Placing her 'star wars' themed towel on the ground once they settled underneath a large willow tree, Caroline pulled off her f-you tank top, aware of lingering stares thrown her way and plopped herself down beside her already comfortable sister who had pulled a book from her own bag.

"Hey Ali? I just have a good feeling about this place"

Caroline stated with a small smile making Allison tear her eyes away from the pages to look at her sister.

"Maybe that's the problem"

Allison replied sadly, ignoring her sister's rolling eyes as she returned to her book. Caroline wasn't sure why but she felt different ever since they'd stepped foot in Beacon Hills. It made absolutely no sense because they'd been there less than a month but for the first time in all her life Caroline finally felt like she belonged somewhere.

"Heads up!"

Someone shouted making Caroline look up as a football came soaring straight towards Allison's head and in one swift move, a move Allison herself nearly missed, Caroline caught the ball. Looking up from her sister's startled face Caroline found herself staring at a pair of apologetic brown eyes.

"That was actually an epic catch"

The unknown boy admitted sheepishly as he took the ball from Caroline's outstretched hand and she laughed in amusement. She had her father to thank for her awesome reflexes.

"You're welcome"

She said dismissively as she settled back against the tree beside her sister whose jaw was still a little slack. The boy ran a sheepish hand over his gelled brown hair as he moved to turn around but decided against it as he turned back towards the sisters.

"Do you uhm, want to join us?"

He asked both girls, eyes looking over both of them as he pointed a thumb over towards the blue Porsche blaring music. Caroline looked around him to see a bunch of jock like guys with cheerleader like girls laughing and drinking by the car. It was clear to her by the longing looks of others that these people were the popular crowd everyone wanted to be a part of. Glancing over towards Allison she was certain the brunet would never dare approach the group but the eldest Argent nudged her sister to go ahead, knowing that the blonde girl was dying to accept the cute guys offer. And so with the biggest smile on her face Caroline jumped up from her position on the ground, kissing her sisters forehead before following beside the handsome stranger, easily falling into conversation with him.

"I'm Danny by the way"

Allison her the stranger say as she watched her sister leave with a smile before returning to her book, blissfully unaware of the brown eyed boy that had his large puppy like eyes glued to her from across the lake as if she were the most interesting thing to watch.

"I think this is going to be the year Stiles"

Scott McCall announced to his pale best friend who was sprawled on the ground next to him, the boy only agreeing with a grunt not bothered to say anything else. Scott had been saying the same thing since summer started and it had gotten old, especially since no amount of negative comments seemed to pull Scott back to reality.

"We're gonna make it this year man"

Scott affirmed once more, his hand patting Stiles chest as he tore his eyes from the lone beauty across the lake and lay back beside his best friend to watch the clouds above them. He could feel it in his bones that things were going to be different.


	2. Chapter One

" _In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again."_

― **Lewis Carroll** ,

 **Down the Rabbit hole we go**

"Do you want to add anything before we end our last session before school starts Caroline?"

Annalise Bowman asked as she looked at the young blonde sitting before her who had her hands clasped tightly in her lap, looking clearly uncomfortable despite trying so very hard to hide that simple fact. Caroline's blue eyes shot up to look at the counselor, a fake smile ready on her lips as she shook her head.

"Nope, I think I've said everything I needed to"

Was her short reply. Annalise closed the brown leather back notebook she used to take notes about her sessions with the students, taking off her red rimmed glasses before clasping her own hands on top of the desk as she leaned forward.

"You haven't said much Caroline, not in any of our sessions"

The older woman sighed, Caroline immediately picking up on her frustration. It was easy to be evasive with her answers, she had mastered the ability to only reveal what was necessary by the time she was seven years old, it was one of the abilities the family business demanded of her.

"I gave you the answers you wanted did I not?"

The blonde questioned innocently, as if she had no idea what the counselor was talking about. Caroline displayed many symptoms of schizoid personality disorder, something almost all other psychiatrists and counselors she ever attended seemed to think as well but Annalise couldn't quite analyze her since she was given little to no information about her, well not _by_ her at least.

"You may have given me answers Caroline but they were carefully constructed answers that gave me no real knowledge about you"

Annalise tried once more, she was certain she wouldn't get anywhere with the young Argent, especially not when the girl had been forced by the school's advisor to attend counseling during the holidays against her will. It had been an agreement between the advisor and the girls' parents if she wanted to attend Beacon Hills High.

"Knowledge or not Mrs. Bowman, you have your answers"

Was all the blonde said before gathering her belongings from the floor and placing them on her lap to signal she was done with the session, the soft timer behind Annalise beeping to signal their time was indeed up. If there was one person who left the older, though recently graduated counselor feeling completely and utterly useless it was Caroline. She had tried every trick in the book to get the girl to slip up once, it would've been enough for Annalise, but nothing worked. The young blonde was like a carefully constructed warrior, taught to fight and defend herself against any unwanted questions and so with reluctance Annalise forced a smile.

"Well than Caroline I believe we are done here. Since you have attended all of our sessions without fault I guess you will be starting school tomorrow"

She produced a sheet of paper from inside the brown leather notebook, stamping it with her official counselor's stamp and handed the blonde the paper with a smile she hopped looked sincere. Caroline nodded silently, grabbing the paper from the older woman's hand and placed it inside her bag, a sigh escaping her lips, the first and only sign of emotion the blonde let slip through.

"Thank you Mrs. Bowman"

She thanked, string clad hand outstretched to shake in departure, Annalise quickly complying.

"Call me Annalise"

The woman asked politely, hopping to at least bring some sort of familiarity between the two so she wouldn't think their time together was a complete waste of time.

"Will do"

Caroline smiled before making her way towards the door, all but throwing it open in desperation, she felt her skin crawling, she needed to get out of there but she contained herself aware that Annalise Bowman was still watching her. The wooden door clicked shut behind her and she permitted a growl to rise from the back of her throat. It was official; Caroline Argent hated anything even remotely similar to a doctor's office. She had been forced to attend pointless meetings with the counselor due to her disruptive school record. She had attended sixteen schools in the past due to her father's line of work and she was just about done with high school. Sure she was partially to blame for her current predicament but the family business didn't exactly help her case either. She was often forced to skip school, stay up late, miss deadlines for turning in work and occasionally got into random fights… okay so maybe more than occasionally but in her defense, hunting really did take its' toll on someone's patience and she certainly didn't have much to begin with.

But still, that was the last time she would be forced to see Annalise for the rest of her stay in Beacon Hills, or so she hopped because she sure as hell wasn't wasting another Sunday hauled up in a room talking about her feelings. Who worked Sundays anyway? With an unsatisfied grunt she reached her families red Chevy Tahoe, pulling the door open before practically throwing herself inside it; she just wanted to get home. Turning on the radio she allowed herself to drown out all thoughts as she took the familiar route to her house which didn't take long.

Parking the car in the driveway she pulled her bag from the passenger seat and strode towards the front door, opening and closing it gently to not alert anyone of her presence before racing up the stairs and into her room. She wanted to avoid her parents' interrogations, especially since they'd only grill into her about how she needed to behave in school because if she kept up her attitude no other school would take her in. Closing the dark wooden door behind her she turned around to see her sister sitting cross legged on her bed, mountains of clothes lining the spaces around her, head buried deep inside one of the brown boxes labelled clothes.

"Well hello miss "I'll just pick through your clothes without even asking'. What are you doing Ali?"

Allison lifted her head just enough to give her sister a once over before digging back into the box, her voice slightly muffled as she answered.

"I'm looking for something to wear tomorrow. You realize it's our first day right and I haven't even decided what to wear! God where's that stupid brown jacket?"

She rambled angrily before pushing the box away and letting her head fall, her thin pale hands covering her face. With a sympathetic smile Caroline crossed the room towards more boxes in the corner, grabbing the brown jacket that lay inside and handed it to Allison as she placed herself next to her sister. Despite living in Beacon Hills for a month now, neither girls had unpacked, both for very different reasons. Caroline couldn't actually bother, she barely had the time either ways but Allison didn't see the point since in her mind they'd just be moving to another town in a few moths all over again.

The eldest Argent let out a small laugh as she took the jacket from her sister, brown eyes ashamed of her mental breakdown. This was very normal to Caroline, her sister was always a lot shier and a far better person than she would ever be. They were polar opposites because while Caroline was looking forward to the new adventures their move to Beacon Hills would bring, Allison stressed about everything new the move brought. She wasn't one to adapt well to change.

"Thank you"

Allison thanked, her voice barely above a whisper as she examined the piece of clothing in her hands, a frustrated sigh escaping her thin pink lips. Caroline ran a comforting hand across her back.

"We'll be fine Ali, we're always fine"

She assured but Allison just shook her head, pushing herself off the bed angrily.

"But I'm sick of always moving Care. I just want to know that for once if I find a cute guy to date and make really awesome friends I won't have to leave it all behind the second dad tells us to"

"Maybe we won't have to, I don't know why but I have a good feeling about this place"

Caroline answered trying to re-assure her sister, she knew deep down it was a silly thought but she felt like Beacon Hills was where she was meant to be all along. She felt like this was truly her home and she wasn't sure why but she welcomed the foreign feeling, she had never felt like she belonged anywhere, not even in her own family.

"You're right, I have a good feeling about this place too. I guess that's why I'm freaking out about having to leave"

Allison admitted with a laugh and a shake of her head, suffering in anticipation for a move that hadn't been, and might never be announced sounding silly as she thought about it. Her soft brown eyes finally meeting her younger sisters' large blue ones as she offered her an embarrassed smile but Caroline returned it with a grin.

"Me and mom are going to head into town later on for dinner, do you want to come?"

Allison asked as she made her way out of her sisters room, walking backwards to look at Caroline. The younger Argent just shook her head, faking disappointment as she announced her plans.

"No, sorry I already have plans with Danny"

Caroline explained, hands already folding the mountain of clothes left in her sisters wake. Both girls had met Danny and a few of the other boys from Beacon Hills High at the lake during one of the first weeks they'd arrived. Allison naturally choose to distance herself from the popular crowd, always one to shy away from the attention being new brought but Caroline with all her exuberant personality seemed to fit right in with the group, quickly becoming friends with most the boys.

Despite wanting her sister to join her, Allison nodded silently, disappointment clear in her eyes but didn't say anything else as she left and closed the door behind her. With a hand full of clothes Caroline carefully made her way around her room towards the half-filled boxes of clothes lying on the floor to try and get herself ready to meet up with Danny later in the reserve for their nightly jogs, a routine both had happily set up after learning about their love to run. Caroline at first had seen the boy as a potential hook up but was quickly shot down when she learned about his sexual preferences, let's just say they both played for the same team but with that out of the way both were able to establish a fun friendship and she knew that if there was one person she could always count on aside from her sister, it was Danny Mahealani.

"Men you can run for a girl! You sure you're not on steroids or something?"

Danny joked as he caught up to Caroline who was jogging on the spot. His chest heaved out heavy breaths, short puffs of air wheezing past his nostrils as he rested his hands on his knee to even out his breathing. Caroline only laughed at his insinuation, if he only knew the truth. Running was nothing compared to the hours of intensive training her father had been putting her through since she was seven.

"You're just seriously out of shape Mahealani, can't believe you're one of the star players of the '3 year champion Lacrosse team'"

She laughed, trying her best to imitate Jackson Whitmore's proud voice whenever he mentioned the Lacrosse team, making Danny laugh even harder. Their laughter stopped as a branch snapped somewhere nearby, Caroline's muscles tensing up ready for action, hand instinctively going to the Fairbairn Sykes knife she had hidden under her oversized Garfield shirt.

"Maybe we should get out of here, it's getting late"

Danny suggested as he straightened up, his brown eyes searching the darkened woods for any sign of unwanted company but he could barely make out branches in front of him. Caroline nodded silently as she followed Danny back down the path they had made. They ran in silence, only the sound of their uneven breathing disturbing the quiet night and Caroline couldn't shake the eerie feeling that someone was watching her and she knew never to ignore that feeling.

Before she was able to warn him, Danny ran straight into a low hanging branch that would never have been a problem for Caroline since she was barely scrapping the 5 foot 5 stature but since Danny was a giant from her point of view it hit him on the forehead making him tumble down a small hill, unable to stop. Caroline charged after him, barely able to keep her own balance as she slid down, coming to an abrupt stop in front of her injured friend who lay moaning on the ground.

"Stupid branch"

Danny cursed as he lifted himself off the ground, hands on his now bleeding forehead. Caroline quickly inspected her friend for any more injuries, the eerie feeling crawling on her skin making her deem the boy 'okay' before pulling him along to get out of the woods as quickly as possible. They were very off the jogging path, not able to climb up the small hill without falling back down and to make matters worse, a thin sheet of rain began to soak through both of their clothes as they continued to find their way back.

"Caroline I don't think this is the right way…"

Danny informed as he looked at his surroundings, knowing the woods like the back of his hands but before Caroline had a chance to object she slipped, her foot getting caught in a tree root making her plummet downwards, hitting the leaf covered floor with a thud. She had her eyes closed, unwilling to open them as she lay on the floor, feeling the dirt and sticks rub against her bare skin, trying to calm her nerves before she had a panic attack. She wasn't sure why but she didn't feel right and the panic setting in didn't help, panicking wasn't an option if she was going to have to protect herself and Danny from a possible attack.

"Holly… Caroline get up!"

Danny ordered, urgency and desperation lacing his words, his strong hands grabbing a hold of Caroline's small arms as he hauled her up, not even giving her enough time to properly open her eyes. She was about to make a joke to try and lighten the mood but was stopped short by the look in Danny's eyes. Panic.

Her whole body turned away from the boy to try and locate what he was looking at, her eyes finally finding the gruesome sight of a body torn in half, legs bloody and bent at awkward angles. There was no other half but Caroline was certain of who it was once her eyes found the black ankle tattoo. The spiral. Laura Hale. A cold twisting fear gripped her insides.

"Is that a?"

"Danny run!"

Caroline ordered cutting him short as she pushed him toward any direction that would get them away from that body. She should've focused on her breathing, focused on her surroundings but she couldn't hear or see anything clearly at that moment. All of her training flying out the window as only one thought ran through her mind: _'not again'._

She wasn't sure how long they'd been running but they finally managed to push their way past the trees and onto the safety of the road. Both teenagers panting, chests hurting and neither willing to say a word, they just looked at each other.

"I'm going to call the cops"

He announced, fumbling to pull out his cellphone, fingers shaking as he dialed the number. It was clear he was afraid and so was Caroline but for a whole different reason. Had she really been dreaming about Laura Hale's death? Images of her gruesome nightmares flashing through her mind, the pain, the screams and the hatred filling up every one of her senses and all she saw was red, her surroundings spinning wildly, she had to sit down. She had seen Laura's death first hand. This couldn't be happening, not again, not now.


	3. Chapter Two

" _I guess that's the thing about a hero's journey. You might not start out a hero, and you might not even come back that way. But you change, which is the same as everything changing. The journey changes you, whether or not you know it, and whether or not you want it to."  
_ _  
_ _―_ **Kami Garcia** , **Beautiful Redemption**

 **Of Honey eyed boys and Lacrosse**

Beacon Hills High was just like every other school Caroline had ever stepped foot on. The moment she and Allison climbed out of their fathers wine colored Chevy Tahoe all eyes turned towards them. She felt like she had stepped into one of those cliché teen movies, it was actually kind of ridiculous and it always happened. They had nearly made it up the stairs but Allison quickly stirred her body away, doing a U turn as she tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear and walked towards a tree, wanting to get as far away from everyone as possible. It was clear to Caroline that Allison felt incredibly uncomfortable but she felt perfectly fine so she just watched her sister walk away, eyes taking in the sight of Beacon Hills before curls of red hair flitted past her. Lydia Martin, queen B, made her way up the schools steps with her posy of skirt wearing demons and Caroline snorted as she listed to a guy with a buzz cut ramble on after the strawberry blonde.

"Since the birth of…"

The boys' sentence was cut short by her un-lady like snort, his honey colored eyes locking on her as she sent him a wiggle of her ringed fingers, a smirk playing on her red coated lips, body lazily resting against a light pole nearby. He visibly stumbled, words caught in his throat as he nudged the shaggy haired boy in front of him to look at her but she didn't wait to see the guys' response as Allison called out to her.

"Care, mums calling, _again_."

Allison complained from her spot by the tree and Caroline tore her eyes away from the boy as she walked over to her sister. Allison gave their mother short answers, nodding and humming along to whatever Victoria Argent was telling her. The blonde girl sat beside Allison, stretching her bare legs out in front of her, inspecting the worn out black converse.

"How do manage to throw on whatever you find on your bedroom floor and still look like you belong on the cover of Kerrang?"

Allison complained as she pocketed her phone and gave her sister a once over. The blonde girl had literally woken up 15 minutes before they had to leave, was wearing a dirty red plaid shirt, her old astrological signs shirt and torn jean shorts but she still looked beautiful. It was one of Caroline's ability that Allison absolutely envied. While she spent hours perfecting just the right amount of perfect and stressing about the day to come, Caroline couldn't care less.

"Guess I was just born beautiful"

The blonde joked with a smirk and a careless shrug, running a hand through her messy waves of blonde hair making Allison roll her eyes, her sister looked like she was posing for a photo. Both Argent girls looked up as the bell rang and students rushed to make it to class, the overwhelming desire to make a run for it suddenly shooting up Caroline's spine making her shift in her place uncomfortably. She hated school, hated having to sit through classes, hated having to listen and never having a real chance to speak. School was her own personal hell.

"Mum 3 calls on our first day is a little over doing it"

Caroline pulled herself form her thoughts as she threw her sister a questioning look as Allison answered their mother once again, fishing through her bag as she hummed an answered.

"Everything except a pen, God I didn't actually forget to bring a pen."

Allison sighed looking at Caroline with a hopeful expression, hoping that her sister actually brought a spare pen but the blonde only shrugged with an apologetic smile confirming what Allison already knew. Caroline never brought anything but an old battered notebook to school, she never paid enough attention to need actual materials.

"Okay okay, I gotta go, love you"

Allison quickly pocketed her phone, turning it off in the process as the schools headmaster walked toward them, a forced smile on his face.

"Good morning girls, shall we go?"

He greeted them, shaking both their hands as they began walking to the school, Caroline not missing the disapproving glint that crossed his features as he took in her clothes but she ignored it. He made small talk, asking them a few things, Allison answering for both of them as Caroline couldn't have cared less to actually answer him herself. Before she knew it they were all standing in front of a classroom door, Mr. Turner, as he introduced himself, holding two sheets of paper in his hands.

"Allison this is yours"

He handed the eldest Argent the sheet with her name on it before turning towards Caroline.

"Caroline this is yours. Now I know you two probably want to be in the same classes since you're both new but we have a strict policy here at Beacon Hills High that siblings not share the same classes. Of course there are a few exceptions but for the most part we want you to interact with other students and allow yourselves to make friends"

He explained as he watched both girls trading looks between their timetables. Allison mentally groaned, she hated these types of rules because she much rather have her sister at her side to help her navigate the waters of first day, she hated being the new girl.

"Allison as you can see your first class is English, I will introduce you to the class and in case you have any questions my office is right across the hall."

He pointed over to the office behind both girls and Allison nodded in understanding, wondering if it was too late to call in sick and have her mother pick her up.

"Now Caroline, despite your astounding HSPT and SSAT test scores we have placed you in ordinary level subjects to begin with so you can get yourself accustomed to our teaching methods. If later on we see that you indeed have potential for AP classes we will make a new schedule for you and enroll you in such classes."

He announced making Caroline snort unceremoniously, Allison eyeing her curiously as disbelief crossed the eldest Argent's features.

"Why don't you just say you don't believe in my scores despite the fact you had me take the tests twice. It sounds less like garbage if you actually tell the truth"

With that said Caroline purposely strode off towards her physics classroom which was her first class of the day, ignoring Mr. Turner's calls. She didn't need a self-righteous pompous ass to introduce her to everyone, she could do that herself.

Caroline could barely contain her annoyance as she swung the wooden door to her last class of the day open, kicking it shut with her foot as she smiled sweetly at the teacher who was writing on the board. The woman turned to look at her, an eyebrow raised as she studied the unknown blonde for a second before guessing who she was.

"Caroline I presume? Would you like to introduce yourself to the class?"

The woman asked politely as she turned her body to face the young blonde, gesturing towards the students with her hand and a smile. Caroline raised a perfectly done eyebrow, a smirk forming on her face, she couldn't help herself, she had behaved so dam well the whole day it was actually starting to weigh down on her and she couldn't stand having to introduce herself anymore.

"I'm pretty sure you just did"

She returned making the students snicker in their seats, the teachers' smile instantly slipping off her face, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at yet another smart ass student. With a tired sigh the teacher ignored her comment, nodding her head silently as she turned her body away from the blonde going back to writing on the board.

"Just find yourself a seat and a partner Mrs. Argent I'm about to start explaining this semesters project"

It was clear she hadn't made a good impression on the teacher but she could make up for it latter with her grades. She made her way to the back of the classroom, winking at honey eyed boy from that morning as she passed him making the boy choke on the water he was drinking. He was cute, she decided mentally. There was one empty seat next to a blonde boy whose head was buried so deep in his notebook he didn't even notice the newcomer sitting beside him until she dropped her books on her desk emanating a loud thud, all eyes on her again.

"Nice drawing"

She commented absent mindedly as she snuck a glance at the open notebook nestled between the boys' protective arms. He eyed her for a short moment before muttering a quiet thanks as he bent his head down to continue his drawing. It was obvious he was one of those quiet, shy guys and so she didn't bother him for the rest of the class, her mind too preoccupied with visions of bloody bodies torn in half, Laura Hale's scream echoing in her ears.

She had spent the whole morning trying to rid herself of the dreams, of the visions, of the screams but it was no use. She couldn't let it happen again even if she had no idea about what _it_ was but she just couldn't stand the thought of having to witness gruesome murders in her dreams again. Last time that happened, she was gifted with a nice scar that ran along her ribcage; her grandfather's way of making it clear he wouldn't tolerate freaks in the Argent family. Either she got rid of the visions or he got rid of her. Two years, she had successfully avoided any and all things strange she was capable of doing for two years, but maybe she never had control over her abilities to begin with. She had felt strangely powerful from the moment she stepped foot in Beacon Hills and the feeling grew whenever she was in the reserve. She was coming to the quick conclusion that whatever the hell she could do was somehow tied to the town and if she were completely honest with herself she would admit that she loved the feeling.

"Alright class dismissed. Make sure to hand in the idea for the project next class"

Caroline was pulled from her thoughts as voices filled the previously silent class. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts, exploring the feeling of power running through her veins, she failed to hear the bell ring and basically everything the teacher had explained.

"This is a two people project right?"

She questioned, turning her attention to the boy beside her and he looked at her startled, nodding silently.

"Do you want to partner up? I swear I'm actually really smart"

She asked with a smile, a little laugh escaping her lips as she gathered her things into her arms, blue eyes looking expectantly at the boy who looked like a deer caught in headlights. His large green eyes wide as he looked around the empty classroom before his eyes landed on her again.

"I… I don't… I usually do these things on my own"

The boy muttered quietly, hands rubbing the back of his neck messing up his already messy curls of blonde hair. She frowned.

"Oh, okay that's fine, don't worry about it"

She responded a bit disappointed but shrugged nonchalantly like it couldn't matter less. She was about to exit the classroom when the boys quiet voice stopped her.

"I guess we can partner up, I just… I'm not really used to… I don't know"

She noticed the boy stuttered a lot as he spoke, his sentences overlapping each other and it made her smile. He was so adorably shy it was impossible for her not to like it. She sent him a megawatt smile walking back towards the boy who wouldn't for the life of him look her in the eye.

"Well then, it will be my pleasure to be your History partner if you'll have me"

She stretched her hand out in front of him, the smile still on her lips as she watched him. He eyed her hand skeptically, eyes fleeting over her face before he hesitantly shook her hand. She squealed like the little girl she was, skipping out of the class happily to go meet up with her sister.

The boy was left frozen to the spot, staring at the door where she had exited, a confused frown on his face as he thought about what just happened. He turned around to gather his things from the table but her voice sounded around the silent classroom once more making him turn around to see her sticking her head into the room, blonde hair covering most of her face but the smile still present.

"I'm Caroline by the way"

She announced with a small wave, waiting expectantly for his response.

"I'm Isaac"

He muttered, returning the small wave awkwardly making her laugh, dimples exploding on her cheeks.

"Well it was nice to meet you Mr. Isaac. I have a feeling we are going to be great friends"

With that, the confusing hurricane of blonde hair and dimples exited the classroom again with another small wave, her eyes catching the ghost of a shy smile place itself on the boy's face before she disappeared down the hallway.

"I see longing looks being exchanged"

Caroline joked as she placed herself in front of her sister whose cheeks instantly reddened at the comment, brown eyes quickly glancing behind the blonde to look at the boy across the hall. Caroline turned back slightly to find the object of her sister's affections before landing directly on a boy with shaggy brown hair, their eyes locking. Something strange and tingly ran all around her body as they continued to stare at each other. She had a few classes with him, Scott something, she couldn't remember his full name but it didn't really matter. Something seemed to be pulling her towards him, a sort of invisible string attaching them, it felt impossible but it was there.

"He's cute"

Allison's voice broke whatever spell she was under as she whispered in her ear, a shy laugh escaping her pink lips, finger brushing a strand of brown hair behind her ears as she backed away to close her locker. Caroline laughed, eyebrows raised as she tore her eyes away from the boy to look at her older sister, the eldest Argent not being able to look at the blonde beside her as her cheeks grew redder by the second.

"Oh come on Caroline, like you haven't been checking boys out all day"

Allison defended as her sister continued to stare at her, blue eyes judging and red lips pulled into a smirk as she opened her own locker and unceremoniously shoved her books inside. It was cute to see her sister getting flustered over something as simple as a boy and it was also very normal. Every single time they moved to a new town Allison swore to herself and Caroline that she wouldn't get involved with anyone seeing as she'd have to leave them behind once they had to uproot their lives again but it never worked. Allison was a sucker for romance and all that true love mush.

"But that my dear sister is normal behavior for _me_ not you"

Caroline responded cheekily, eyes roaming over honey eyed boy next to Scott whose own eyes were glued to her. She sent him one of her 'come get me' smirks and the boy, whose name she still didn't know, looked around him flustered not quite believing that the smirk was directed at him. Scott laughed from beside him, eyes smiling as he waved hello to the embarrassed brunet beside Caroline who shyly waved back.

"Oh my God you're too adorable"

Caroline joked with a laugh making her sister push her playfully, a glare etched on her face as she tried very hard not to laugh as well. Before Allison had a chance to retort the small strawberry blonde Caroline had seen that morning strode up to them, hands on her hips and free hand twirling her perfectly curled hair.

"That jacket is absolutely killer. Were'd you get it?"

The strawberry blonde asked, eyes roaming over Allison's brown jacket that actually belonged to Caroline. Allison who looked completely off guard glanced nervously towards her sister for an answer getting nothing but a smirk from the blonde beside her as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah where _did_ you get it Ali?"

Caroline asks backing up the strawberry blondes question with amusement as she fingers the leather material of the jacket making Allison glare at her, her own hands pushing Caroline's fingers away annoyed before turning her eyes to look at the girl in front of her.

"My mum was a buyer for a boutique back in San Francisco"

Allison answers with a smile directed at the strawberry blonde, ignoring her sisters' snort, an image of her mental breakdown while she had been looking for the jacket flashing through her mind.

"She has great taste"

Caroline agreed earning an elbow to the side making her grunt in disapproval, the strawberry blonde turning her dangerous green eyes towards her in inspection. She eyed the youngest Argent from head to toe as if she was examining every single flaw the blonde presented, from her torn up shorts to the beaten up converse on her feet.

"You must be Caroline, I've heard a lot about you"

The girl concluded with a smile, lifting her green gaze to meet Caroline's blue ones in an attempt to intimidate her. The girl wasn't much taller than Caroline but she stood on at least a 6 inch heel which forced Caroline to look up at the girl and so she straightened up a little defensively as she stared the girl head on, arms crossing over her chest.

"Can't say I've heard about you"

Allison takes a chance to elbow her sister again for her rude comment as the strawberry blonde turns to look behind her before fixing her gaze back on Allison.

"Well you two are my new best friends"

She concluded with a smile and Caroline has to hold back the urge to roll her eyes. Of course she'd get ambushed by the schools own personal queen B, she was never lucky enough to be able to avoid people like strawberry blonde in all her plaid skirt glory.

"I'm Lydia by the way"

She introduces herself and before Caroline has a chance to retort with some witty little line Jackson, whom she met at the lake, and captain of the school's lacrosse team snakes his arms around Lydia's waist and plants a kiss on her lips pulling her towards his body. And yes, this high school now held practically all teenage movie cliques with the captain of the football team dating the pretty little air head, all they needed now was the cheer squad from hell. Allison sent her a threatening look as she noticed Caroline rolling her eyes in exasperation, silently begging the younger Argent to not ruin their chances at making friends and so she decides to ignore the conversation, eyes turning to look at Scott again.

The feeling of being connected to the stranger that was Scott continued to pulse through her veins as she looked at him and it probably didn't help that the boy was staring intently at her like he was trying to figure her out.

"Well there's a party"

Lydia announced making Caroline snap her attention towards the strawberry blonde with a wide smile. If there was one thing the young Argent girl loved, it was partying her way into oblivion. She was about to respond with a "yes, please and thank you" but Allison cut her short, smashing any chance she may have had at happiness.

"Can't, its family night this Friday, sorry"

She sent her sister a sideways glance making Caroline pout in annoyance, looking like a three year old who didn't get a cookie. Lydia turned towards her, the smile still in place and Caroline wondered if it hurt to smile so much.

"What about you?"

"Can't, family night"

The blonde answered, throwing a thumb over to her sisters' direction in total dismay before she crossed her arms over her chest again, clearly not liking Allison's response to the invitation. Both Lydia and Jackson frowned looking between the girls.

"You two are sisters?"

The strawberry blonde asked in confusion as she signaled between the two Argent girls. It was easy to see why people never thought Allison and Caroline weren't sisters, they looked nothing alike. Allison did resemble their parents slightly but Caroline was always the black sheep of the family, she didn't quite fit in anywhere.

"It does explain the same surname"

The blonde retorted with a laugh earning a slight jab in the rib by her sister. It seemed Allison had taken upon herself to control her sisters sometimes offensive sarcasm and Caroline really wasn't appreciating it.

"You guys don't look alike"

Jackson commented making Caroline roll her eyes in annoyance. This happened every single time, people didn't seem to grasp the concept that sisters didn't technically need to look alike to be sisters, and it annoyed Caroline to no end. If she were honest, this was kind of a touchy subject for her.

"We're sisters, not twins' genius"

She answered back harshly earning another jab to the rib. Jackson only ignored her irritated outburst, choosing to direct his next question towards Allison.

"We have practice in a few minutes if two wanna come"

Allison glanced hesitantly towards the irritated blonde beside her, trying desperately to get out of joining the power couple and having to sit through lacrosse practice but Lydia cut whatever reply she was formulating, hands grabbing both Allison and Caroline as she began to drag them along. Caroline felt Scott's lingering gaze on her back but choose to ignore it as Allison linked their arms.

"Can you at least try being nice?"

She pleaded, big brown eyes staring down at the young blonde who only rolled her eyes.

"That is me being nice"

Was the girls only response and Allison sighed, keeping her voice down so the couple in front of them wouldn't over hear.

"They actually seem nice Care"

Allison countered but Caroline wasn't at all interested.

"Yeah well tigers seem nice too until they rip your face off!"

Allison jabbed her in the rib cage again making her yelp out in pain, pushing her sister away to rub the probably bruising spot that had taken all of the eldest Argents jabs.

"Stop jabbing me with your bonny finger!"

She complained, glaring daggers at Allison but the brunet only smiled deviously, batting her long dark eye lashes.

"Then stop being such a bitch"

Caroline rolled her eyes at her sisters' response but she complied anyway, following Allison and Lydia up the bleachers without a word. Caroline noticed silently the looks being exchanged between her sister and Scott and smiled. She wanted Allison to enjoy their time here in Beacon Hills; she wanted her sister to be happy. Scotts' eyes turned towards her and she copied her sisters' smile and he returned it with ease. She didn't know who he was but she could see he was a good person, there was just something so inexplicably likeable in those big brown eyes that she was sure there was no evil there and if there was something Caroline was eerily good at, it was reading people. The coach blew the whistle, throwing a stick towards Scott and she watched as he made his way towards the goal, clearly not happy with being stuck there. She wasn't really paying much attention to the game; she was more focused on trying to figure out where the sense of 'connection' she towards the shaggy haired boy was coming from. It was the same sort of feeling she felt two years ago and _that_ really didn't end well for her.

"Who is that?"

Allison questioned quietly looking between her female companions, waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Him? I don't know who he is. Why?"

Lydia asked but Allison just shrugged, trying to pull off the 'nothing' look as she answered the girls question but Caroline saw right through it, her sister was definitely interested in him.

"That's Scott"

She answered her sisters' question earning somewhat surprised answers from both girls as they looked at her but she ignored them, her eyes trained on the field staring at Scott as his lips formed a smile like he knew they were talking about him. Coach, who Caroline came to the conclusion that really liked his whistle, blew the it to signal the start of practice, Scott taking a ball to the face as one of the players sent the ball soaring towards the net. Both Argent girls winced at his fall but he seemed determined as he picked himself up and took up his position again. As if by a miracle Scott caught ball after ball, earning cheers from honey eyed boy who leapt up with every new catch. Everyone seemed stunned into silence by Scotts' performance and the air seemed to thicken as Jackson made his way to the front of the line, clearly angry at the attention was Scott was getting instead of him.

Lining up his shot, Jackson took off running stick ready in his hand and everyone held their breath as they watched the ball soaring through the air, Scott catching it without missing a beat. Both Allison and Caroline shot up from their seats, cheering Scoot on while honey eyed boy hollered from the benches, even Lydia was cheering on the boy, despite the murderous glares she was receiving from her boyfriend. Honey eyed boy looked up at the bleachers, his eyes locking with Caroline's as she smirked down at him making him stumble back, his legs tripping over the gear by his feet and his body plummeting to the ground with no support. Both Argent sisters laughed between themselves while the boy lay on the ground, arm over his eyes as he possibly questioned his existence.


	4. Chapter Three

" _All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair."_

― **Mitch Albom**

 **Bruised Jaws and Sore Egos**

"Allison hurry the hell up!"

Caroline ordered as her sister slowly pulled herself out of their families' car. She'd gotten distracted watching lacrosse practice and surprisingly enough having fun with Lydia and Allison that she completely forgotten about her training session with her father and she was currently 15 minutes late to said session. Her father was going to kill her.

"God Care relax, it was the first day of school, dad will understand"

Allison tried reassuring her sister as she fumbled with the key trying to open the front door. Caroline shot her a dry look, blue eyes glaring at her sisters' naivety, no their father wouldn't understand. Without actually retorting to her sisters' words she threw the door open only to come face to face with a rather angry looking Chris, his cold blue eyes glancing briefly at the watch on his wrist before looking at Caroline.

"You're late"

Was all he said and she could already see the massive ass whooping humiliation she was going to get in training. She sent her sister an 'I told you' look before dropping her bag by the door, an apology ready at the tip of her tongue but Allison cut in front of her.

"It was my fault dad, I made Caroline wait for me while I watched lacrosse practice after school"

Caroline winced at her sister attempt to save her ass, not that it was Allison's fault but mentioning lacrosse was definitely not a good idea and Allison seemed to understand that as she saw her sister visibly flinch, quickly shutting her mouth.

"Lacrosse?"

Chris raised both eyebrows, questioning Caroline silently and Allison felt left out all of a sudden as both her sister and father communicated in what seemed like a telepathic way. She hated when they did that because it only served to remind her she was nowhere as close to her father as Caroline was.

"Dad…"

"I don't want to hear it, let's go"

Chris cut Caroline short, his voice overpowering hers as he raised a hand and she shut up instantly. He waved a hand for her to follow him, probably to the training room but Caroline stood still, eyes glancing down at her clothes that were definitely not fit for a sparing battle.

"Can I at least change?"

She questioned boldly but her father only shot her one of his 'don't question me' looks and she sighed inwardly, shaking her head.

"Dad seriously it was my fault"

Allison tried again and this time Chris turned around fully, fixing Allison with an intimidating stare that only the Argent blue eyes could pull off, something Allison wasn't gifted with since she inherited brown, almost black eyes from some unknown person in the family.

"Allison this is between me and your sister, do not interfere"

The brunette shied away from his harsh tone, hands instinctively brushing her hair behind her ears as a habit. Victoria Argent had made her appearance from the kitchen, her hand resting on her eldest daughters shoulder for comfort and all Allison could do was mouth the words 'sorry' to her sister as she watched the blonde disappear after their father.

Chris was inspecting a wooden Bo staff, twirling it around himself with ease as if it were second nature. Caroline refrained from saying anything else as she made her way towards the rest of the staffs' lining the wall but Chris blocked her path, eyes directing her towards a staff in the middle of the foam covered floor. Caroline had been forced to help her father set up their training space when they moved to Beacon Hills, her fingers still hurt from having to set up the interlocking foam mat but it helped, especially in moments like these when she was certain she was getting her ass kicked. Chris positioned himself in front of the staff on the floor, his eyes never once looking at Caroline but she was certain he was watching. She hesitantly bent down to pick it up, catching on the swift movement from her peripheral vision and she barely moved fast enough to avoid being hit by her fathers' staff as he brought it down on her. She landed awkwardly to the side, bringing her eyes up to meet her fathers' only to have to move out of the way again as he took a hit at her again.

"Pick it up Caroline"

He warned as he leaned casually on his staff from his spot across the room, eyes locked on hers. She had two choices: be faster than him or get hit and she sure as hell didn't want to get hit. Before she could think too hard about her choice she made a sprint for it, painfully aware that he was closer to the staff than she was but in a miracle move she reached it, pulling it into her hands before swiftly blocking her fathers' hit. She eyed him triumphantly from her crouched position on the floor but it didn't last long as he kicked her legs out from under her and she had to roll with the staff in order to avoid getting hit. Sure training sessions with her father weren't a walk in the park but they were never this aggressive and she was acutely aware of how pissed off he actually was despite his calm demeanor. She continued to dodge his hits, swiftly moving about the room, using whatever space she had escape his wrath, this was too much even coming from Chris.

"Come on Caroline stop running like a scared little girl and fight back"

He ordered with a smug smile as she watched her pant, she was getting tired of moving back and forth, they'd been doing this for an hour she noticed with disdain as her eyes glanced at the clock on the wall, an hour and he still wasn't lighting up. Taking a deep breath she clenched her hands tight around the staff and dug her heels into the mat to propel her body forward. She was fast and strong but it wasn't enough. Chris easily maneuvered away from her blow and the momentum she gained actually turned against her as she lost her balance. Chris used her jerky, uncoordinated movements to send the flat end of the staff against her stomach, the breath immediately leaving her body as she unwillingly bent forward at the impact but he wasn't done yet. In one of his check mate moves he brought the staff upward, connecting with her chin as he set her flying into the air. Her back slammed into floor with a loud, unceremonious thud that shook every bone in her body. She couldn't breathe.

"Game over"

Chris announced standing over her with the staff pointed at her scrunched up face and at that moment Caroline felt like a kid all over again, only it was her grandfather holding the staff, she saw his cold, mocking eyes as she lay in pain.

"Chris!"

Victoria scolded from the door, her voice angry and firm as she reprimanded her husband and Chris seemed to snap out of it. A flash of regret raced across his eyes but Caroline ignored it, promptly ignoring his outstretched hand too. She painfully pushed herself off the floor and past her mother as she made her way to her room. She thanked the Gods under and above that the door to her sisters' room was closed and quickly made her way into her own room. She was sure the underside of her chin was probably already bruising but it wasn't even the physical pain that got to her the most, it was the look in her father's eyes. Chris Argent tried so hard not to become his father but sometimes whatever it was that Gerard Argent planted inside his son came out and it scared the crap out of Caroline. She tore the black shirt over her head and inspected her stomach on the full body mirror in the corner of her room. There was a distinct mark of a circle imprinted on the skin; the color there was red and already slightly purple.

"Great"

She mumbled to herself, eyes instinctively running over the scarred skin of her ribcage. Sometimes when she closed her eyes she still felt the pain, the sound of electric currents flooding her senses and taking her back two years ago to the day she acquired the scar but she was okay now. She understood from that day on that she was not like the rest of her family, not even her father who tried so hard not to stray from the code. She was something else entirely and it was for that reason she did what she did two years ago. Her motivations for doing what she did were her own. With a small, satisfied smile she pulled her eyes away from the mirror and made her way towards the bathroom she shared with her sister, the feeling of unknown power running through her whole body. She was not who they wanted her to be and for the first time in her life she was starting to be okay with that.

Later that night as she sat in her bed, mind focused on her school work a knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts. She had denied her mothers' call for dinner and that was all it took for the rest of the Argent family to understand that she wasn't in the mood for company. Even her sister, who was an anxious worrier had actually respected Caroline's' need to be alone. So she was surprised to see her fathers' large, strong frame entering her bedroom. She closed the English book lying on the bed in front of her and turned towards her father, no trace of anything on her face despite the pain, the anger and confusion that raged inside her. Chris's blue eyes traced the purple/blue bruising that was gaining more color by the second and rubbed a tired hand over his face before sitting on the bed, body not facing hers.

"You got angry and you were too eager to hit me which is why I was able to get a good blow at you"

He said after a few moments of silence, still not facing her as he stared at the wooden wardrobe in front of him.

"I know Sir"

She answered, her posture straight and stiff as she watched him. She wanted to scoff and demand he leave her room but she knew that wouldn't end well. To be honest her father was the last person she expected to see entering her bedroom, usually he just dismissed the injuries she got during training sessions just like she ignored his because they both knew they could take it but this didn't seem to be about her bruising jaw or sick stomach.

"Is that all?"

She asked politely, her tone clipped and slightly impatient as the silence dragged on between them. It was the sort of deathly, loaded silence that made the hairs on her arm stand on end. Her relationship with her father was by far normal but it was functioning and it was good and so she hated when this sort of silence settled around them. She wasn't sure why but moving to Beacon Hills, it turned him into a more demanding, a more ruthless and cold man and she found herself struggling to see the man she actually admired more and more every day.

"Don't do that Caroline"

He all but begged, voice almost a whisper as he clasped his hands together, finally finding the courage to look at her. His face contorted into a small wince as he glanced once more at the bruise on her jaw and the look of regret finally settled into place.

"I just need to make sure you can do it Caroline"

He said quietly, hands reaching out towards hers, clasping her hand tightly as he looked at it. She frowned before responding.

"I can protect Allison dad, that is one thing I will always do"

"Not just Allison. I need you to protect yourself because I won't always be here to watch out for you and I can't lose you"

It was possibly the raw emotion in his voice that caught her off guard and propelled her body forward to bring him into a hug but she knew a part of her needed that hug too. He buried his face into her shoulder, hands holding her tight like he didn't want to let her go and she knew this was more than just about protecting herself. She knew he was hiding something, that he knew something she didn't but it didn't matter in that moment, she was just happy to be there.

"You won't lose me dad, promise"

She assured and he smiled, that crooked side smile of his that Caroline loved so much growing up. He nodded silently before pulling himself up and heading for the door, standing there he pulled a plastic tube from his pocket and threw it towards Caroline who swiftly caught it and inspected it, brows furrowed in confusion.

"It's a numbing gel, it'll help with the pain slugger"

He explained, the smile still on his face as he used her old nickname and she rolled her eyes playfully, a hand gently rubbing over the very extremely sore spot on her jaw.

"Hey dad…"

She called out before he fully closed the door making him hold it halfway opened to look at her.

"I love you"

"I love you too"

He replied as he pulled the door closed leaving her alone to stare at the notes on her bed in wonder. There was no way she could explain the feelings that surfaced inside her but there was no need to either and so placing some of the cold gel on her fingers she gently rubbed the spot on her jaw before settling herself beneath the covers, her books thrown on the floor and forgotten as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to rest. Maybe Beacon Hills wouldn't be too bad after all.


	5. Chapter Four

" _Lies are neither bad nor good. Like a fire they can either keep you warm or burn you to death, depending on how they're used."_  
― **Max Brooks** ,

 **Chapter Four**

If Caroline thought her jaw hurt the previous day she was pleasantly proved wrong when she woke up that morning. Her jaw hurt like a devious little bitch and it seemed like no amount of numbing gel helped. She was also left with the task of trying to hide the very visible and very ugly, very purple bruise that coated her fair skin but she had quickly given up on that, instead wearing it like a proud battle wound. Her stomach also hurt like a bitch which was why she was currently cursing the whole galaxy system and back for having dropped her books in a spastic move to rush to a class she was already late for. She just couldn't bend down to pick them up, she was sure that if she _did_ then she wouldn't be able to get back up.

"Here, let me help you"

A somewhat familiar voice broke her murderous thoughts and that strange tingly sensation ran up her spine as a hand gently pressed down on her shoulder. Scott McCall, who she now knew by his full name, appeared from behind her, bending down to gather the fallen books into his hands before standing up and facing her with one of his sweet boy smiles that tugged something deep in her mind.

"Thanks Scott"

She smiled back taking the books from his hands, ignoring the electrifying current that washed over her when their hands touched and just stared at him. She wasn't sure if he felt whatever the hell she felt when they were around each other but she was starting to really dislike the feeling. She knew what that feeling meant, well at least she knew what it meant two years ago and now she was desperately trying to figure out if it was the same thing. But it couldn't be, she barely knew him.

"Are you okay?"

He asked carefully, a frown drawing his brows together as he looked at her and she snapped out of her thoughts aware she'd been staring at him a moment too long. Shaking her head she forced the feeling away from her and gave him her best megawatt smile, the dimples on her cheeks becoming more pronounced.

"Yeah totally, thanks again Scott"

He nodded silently, returning her smile, his brown eyes briefly glancing at the bruise on her jaw but he didn't say anything. It was actually kind of surprising since every single person she'd come across during the day had pointedly stared at the bruise or asked her about it, Lydia being number one to criticize it, saying she could've at least covered it up. She found herself liking this boy more and more.

"No problem, see you around?"

He asked sheepishly, his hands reaching to rub the back of his neck awkwardly as a crimson blush sped its' way up his neck and tinted his already tanned cheeks. She found it weirdly endearing that she had that sort of effect on him and the tingling sensation spiked to one hundred as he smiled returning her own smile. Forcing the feeling down with a determined frown she had begun to walk off towards her English class, her back to him, but remembered something she had been meaning to say to the boy and so she spun swiftly on her heel, hands clutching the books to her chest as she called out to his retreating form, tingling sensation ignored for the moment.

"Hey Scott"

The boy turned around a little startled, eyes tracing over her smiling face as he waited expectantly for whatever she was going to say.

"You should ask my sister to the party"

She sent him a cheeky wink before turning around and making run towards her last class of the day leaving a smiling Scott to watch her go. She vaguely realized that was the first time she had actually spoken to the boy, the buzzing feeling in her veins only returning as she thought about it. It felt like a sort of connection, an invisible string bringing something inside of her closer to the **unexpecting** boy, it was like a part of her was calling out to him. There was something swimming just underneath the surface of her own being that was so close yet felt so far away, it was disturbing for her to think that she didn't have access to certain parts of herself.

She entered the classroom with a sly smile as she saluted the teacher making the man roll his eyes at her and she didn't even glance at Isaac as she sat herself beside him for their class, too distracted trying to figure out what the hell was going on with her but the blonde boy studied her, his eyes silently tracing over the large bruising on her face. He frowned, fingers automatically tracing his own bruising absentmindedly.

"You okay?"

He asked, eyes trained on the blonde and she jumped a little, eyes widening as she acknowledged his presence. She sent him a startled smile, the signs of a barely contained laugh coating her words as she greeted him but his frown never left his face.

"You can stop frowning now Isaac, I'm fine"

She told him with a lighthearted laugh, turning her eyes towards the front of the class as the teacher began explaining 'The Metamorphosis' by Franz Kafka to the students, a novella Caroline had already read in her last school and her inner self did a happy little dance at the thought of acing the semester without even trying, not that she ever tried but still. She could still feel Isaac's lingering gaze on her face, probably studying the bruise that trailed from her chin all the way to the left side of her under jaw and she sighed.

"I was training with my dad, bojutsu, and he accidently hit me with the Bo staff"

She explained calmly, her eyes still trained on the teacher at the front as her hands expertly took down his notes. It was a complete lie, she had received the bruise while training, even if his hit hadn't been accidental but Isaac didn't need to know that, especially not with the worried look he was giving her. He cleared his throat with an embarrassed nod, not fully accepting her explanation but choosing to let it slide as his eyes turned towards the teacher but the frown never left his face, fingers tracing the angry finger prints on his wrist, the movement catching her attention.

"I'm okay Isaac, really"

She insisted with a soft smile and he nodded once again, not looking at her as his fingers continued to trace the prints on his skin. She wanted to ask him where he had gotten them but she refrained from asking, well aware that she shouldn't do something she had been mentally bitching about all day, she hated when people asked too many questions and so she left it to the boy to come to her if he ever needed it.

"You can trust me Caroline"

He whispered quietly, blue eyes glancing between her and the notebook he was writing in and she sent him another soft smile.

"You too Isaac"

She nodded her head, eyes briefly glancing down to the marks on his skin and he gave her a nod of his own before being absorbed back into the lesson and the blonde followed his actions, eyes staring down at her scribbled hand writing but her mind too far away to really pay any attention, his words ringing in her mind.

"Why am I dropping you off at the station again?"

Allison asked for the tenth time as she spared her sister a brief glance before focusing on the road ahead making Caroline sigh for the tenth time. She had been trying to avoid telling Allison the truth, mostly because if she told her the truth than she'd have to answer more questions, questions she wasn't allowed to answer. Sometimes keeping their family business a secret from her older sister seemed like the worst part of the deal, she was so used to Allison telling her everything that she felt a little guilty for not being able to confide 100% and return the trust but that wasn't something she wanted to dwell in at the current moment.

"Because I'm receiving a prize for being an upstanding citizen"

Caroline rebuked with a sarcastic smile and it was Allison's turn to sigh, her dough eyes rolling skyward at the blonde's answer. Chris was supposed to be driving her to the station to avoid any unnecessary questions Caroline couldn't give answers to but one of her father's hunting buddies had picked up a trail in the woods that could possibly be the alpha's and so Chris had asked Allison to drop her off after school which was an absolute disaster but still, Caroline was holding her own.

"Do you need me to pick you up?"

Allison asked, breaking the silence that had settled around them as she stopped the car just in front of the sheriff station and Caroline shuck her head in response, a tentative smile playing on her lips.

"I'll be fine, thank you Alli"

With that said she climbed out of the car and made her way towards the front doors, internally sulking for having the be there and be missing out on the hunt. The building before her didn't differ too much from the numerous other stations she'd been to in her past travels. Red bricks lined the outer side of the station, the traditional windows with the dark brown frames spaced around the walls letting in enough natural light to look less intimidating and more like a safe place. She walked through the glass double doors, letting them fall close behind her with a soft thud and made her way to the front desk, a bright smile ready on her lips.

"Hi I'm Caroline Argent, Sheriff Stilinski asked me to stop by after school"

The young woman behind the desk returned Caroline's smile with a friendly one of her own as she lifted her eyes from the computer screen in front of her before speaking.

"Yes perfect Caroline, he's actually waiting for you. His office is right down the hall, you can go ahead"

The woman whose name tag read Haley directed Caroline with her slim hands, fingers pointing down the poorly illuminated corridor towards a larger room that opened at the end. Caroline nodded, thanking the woman with another smile and with on her way, desperate to just get it over with. She felt a few lingering gazes as she passed by some desks, mostly men typing up boring paperwork wondering why on earth they choose to be cops and Caroline couldn't help the almost silent snicker that slipped past her lips as she looked at the various degrees of tedious looks on their faces. She didn't bother acknowledging their presence as she aimed straight for the Sheriff's door, holding her hand up to knock on the glass of the door but before she could knock the door swung open and she found herself looking into honey colored eyes.

"Hi"

The word came out a lot flirtier than she originally intended it to but she couldn't fight the smirk that danced across her red lips as she looked at the cute boy from her school. The boy visibly stumbled as he nearly ran her over, eyes trailing down her predatory smile, words caught somewhere in his blanking mind.

"Wha..uhm Hi"

He rambled out, eyes wide as he continued to stare at her shoving his hands into the pockets of his jean in a rushed move to at try and appear as if her mere presence wasn't rattling every single thought in his head.

"Stiles"

He rushed out again, voice coming out a little squeaky as his hand shot out from his pockets towards her and a large blush crawl its way up his neck as he realized how utterly random he seemed to the mostly unknown blonde in front of him but she just smiled taking his hand in hers.

"I mean my name is Stiles"

He corrected shaking his head embarrassed and she nodded, blue eyes still watching him in amusement.

"Caroline"

She introduced herself, the smirk still in place as she stepped out of the way in order for the flustered boy to pass.

"I know"

He answered easily, eyes still wide and her brow lifted in question as she continued to look at him. Was she really that intimidating? Before she got a chance to call him out on his answer the Sheriff appeared at the door, his blue eyes narrowing at Stiles, sparing Caroline a quick smile before directing his attention to the poor boy who looked even more flustered.

"Go home Stiles, I don't need you snooping around my work"

The Sheriff ordered not even bothered to see Stile's incredulous reaction as her turned his back to the boy, ushering the blonde into his office and she offered the huffing boy a quick wink before disappearing behind the closing door.

"Sorry about my son, he can get a little excited about… well about anything really. Make yourself comfortable"

The sheriff apologized with a halfhearted smile as he gestured for Caroline to take the empty seat in front of the desk as he sat himself down just across from it. She complied easily with a smile, accepting the sheriff's apology though she really didn't mind running into his son, he was the kind of cute that definitely attracted her attention.

"I'm sure you're wondering why you're here again but I promise I'll make this quick, I just need to go over some details in your statement."

He explained, hands reaching around in the drawers on his desk before placing a few papers on said desk, his eyes finally landing on her face, well more like landing on her bruise and she unconsciously shied away from his lingering blue eyes, using her blonde hair to cover the purple on her skin. He frowned but didn't question it, eyes traveling up to hers as he picked up the papers once again.

"So, you and Mr. Mahealani were running in the preserve before you found the body right?"

He asked, inquisitive eyes waiting for her answer and she easily nodded because it was the honest truth, she really hadn't been looking for the body when she quite literally fell face first into it. Sure she'd felt that familiar pull towards that certain path she had insisted on going down but she could just chalk that up to some weird coincidence right?

"Yeah, it's a sort of night time ritual we established after he learned I have trouble sleeping"

"Trouble sleeping?"

The sheriff questioned and she nodded her head.

"I used to have insomnia when I was younger and running helped my body calm down so I took up the sport"

Was her short reply but the sheriff nodded accepting her answer as he scribbled something down on the papers in front of him. She wasn't lying about having insomnia, she once went three days without sleeping, and her body sometimes felt too restless and charged that no amount of herbal tea or yoga could help. Sometimes it felt like her body absorbed the energy around her and since she couldn't find a way to get rid of it, it just sort of overwhelmed her most of the time.

"Did you hear or see anything? Anything at all that might help us figure out what happened to the victim?"

The sheriff asked, eyes trained on her once more as he waited for her answer. She could see the glimmer of hope that she'd have some useful information; she knew he wanted to solve this case and bring justice to the murdered girl but she couldn't tell him the truth.

"No, I mean we freaked out and I'm not even sure how we managed to find our way back, I'm sorry"

That was the first time she lied during their conversation and she felt bad for having to do it as she watched the hope is his eyes dimmer the longer he looked at her but he managed a small smile as he nodded his head.

"That's alright Caroline but I guess we're done here. Thank you so much for coming in"

He stood from his chair, hand outstretched for her to shake and so she did, trying to come up with a smile of her own to somehow reassure the sheriff that this wasn't his fault. She stood from her place but he asked his last question and she momentarily froze.

"Did you get that bruise in the woods?"

To anyone his question might've seemed like a normal question, a small spur of curiosity but it was his underlining tone that had her freezing. It was the way he watched her, as he knew how she'd gotten the bruise, that made her chest squeeze and had her mind racing back to how scared she had felt as her father held her under the bo-staff. It was a silly fear because she knew he'd never really hurt her but it was how much he had reminded her of Gerard that really freaked her out.

"Nope, training accident with my dad actually"

She answered after regaining her baring's, smile once again on her lips to diffuse her tension, the last thing she needed was for the sheriff to think she was suffering domestic violence. He nodded, the same 'not fully satisfied with your answer' kind of way that Isaac had nodded at her earlier in the day but he accepted the answer either ways moving around his desk and reaching to open the door so she could step out of his office.

"If you need anything else I'll be happy to help sheriff"

"Thank you Caroline"

He answered giving her a slight bow before he closed the door behind her. She ran a hand through her hair tiredly, a sigh escaping her lips. She just felt tired, she hadn't been in town two months and somehow she was already weaving lies left and right. It was the first time since she'd been chosen over her sister to be trained as a hunter that she truly felt there was no life outside of the hunt, it was the first time she wished it was her sister instead of her but the feeling went just as fast as it came because she would never be that selfish, she would chose this life a million times over if it meant giving Allison a shot at a normal, happy life. She had made it out of the station, stopping just in front of the doors as her hands dug inside her bag searching for her phone, she'd need a ride home but she didn't really want to call her sister.

"Hey"

She nearly jumped out of her skin as Stiles appeared out of nowhere, a bright smile on his face but it was quickly replaced with a frown as he watched her reaction and then mortification washed over him as he realized that he had freaked the blonde out.

"Shit, God you… Jesus!"

Her hand was clutching at her heart as a laugh escaped her lips and he was rushing out an apology, hands spastically waving in the air as the words tumbled out of his lips, unfinished sentences and incoherent words flying out as he tried to wrap his mind around anything that would make him stop talking but it was only as she raised a hand, one of those melodic laughs spilling from her lips that he stopped, brain processing the sound of her voice.

"It's okay; seriously you just caught me off guard"

She assured him and he nodded, his flying to rub the back of his neck in a nervous manner much like Scott had done earlier and she couldn't help but smile at his awkwardness.

"Why do I have a feeling that doesn't happen often?"

He asked and she laughed again.

"Because it doesn't"

She replied confidently, straightening her posture with a smirk on her face and he smiled at her. They stood there in silence for a second, his eyes admiring her beautiful face as she searched for something inside her leather bag. He had noticed the bruising on her face that morning when she rolled into school and suddenly his curiosity was spiked again but she spoke before he could.

"So did you want something?"

She questioned lightly and the blush was back up his neck even though he tried desperately for it to go away, with no success of course.

"Uhm yeah yeah, I was just wondering if you needed a ride"

He asked quickly and she smiled, knowing that he had waited for her just to give her a ride.

"That would actually be pretty great"

The boy looked as if he had just won the lottery with the size of the smile that broke out on his face, his eyes lighting up like Christmas trees as he led the girl towards his car. She followed silently beside him, noticing how his step picked up ever so slightly becoming more bouncy, he was just too adorable. They came to a stop in front of a baby blue jeep and she took a second to appreciate the car. It was one of those vintage cars that had probably seen more days than both of them but still had the charm and presence of a newly bought car, slightly dorky but just as adorable. She couldn't help but notice how the car matched its owner's personality.

"It's not much but it works"

Stiles defended the jeep lightheartedly, giving it a quick pat before opening the driver's door and getting in, his body leaning over the seat to open her door from the inside.

"It's pretty amazing"

She acknowledged after a few seconds and he pulled out of the station with another large smile tugging at his lips. They spent the first few minutes in silence as he drove down the road but he eventually broke it, asking the question she knew he was dying to ask.

"So you were the one who found the body in the woods right?"

She raised a brow, her blue eye searching his in amusement and he began stammering out words once again in embarrassment, realizing he probably sounded like a douche bag for asking such a blunt question but she just laughed.

"I thought I'd get like confidentiality but I guess that doesn't apply to you since you're the sheriff's son"

She joked, her eyes narrowed playfully at him as she watched him and he couldn't help but laugh back, albeit a little embarrassed but it was still a laugh.

"I kind of listen into his phone calls, I mean, only the interesting ones anyways"

He admitted and she rolled her eyes with another smile which he returned with a sheepish one of his own.

"Well than I guess I don't really need to answer your question"

She smirked at him and his eyes widened but he was pulling up by her house and she got out before he could say anything.

"Thank you Stiles, even if you just wanted to get answers out of me"

She pouted at him, feigning hurt and once again he was at a loss for words, just staring wide eyed at the blonde as she smirked and turned to walk away. He wanted to call out to her but his mental delay had caused him to miss his chance as he heard the front door slam behind the girl. Grumbling something not even he understood he finally shifted into gear and made his way out of her drive way.

Caroline was making her way out of the bathroom after another long training session, her body was still sore from the previous one but her father would never let her have the day off so she just resorted to downing practically a whole bottle of pain killers, which didn't actually work at all. Her father's hunting party had drawn up a blank in their search, the hunters losing track of the alpha the further into the woods they walked but Chris had seem strangely upbeat as they trained, it kind of amazed Caroline but she didn't question it. She passed by her sisters open door when she froze, backtracking over to the door she just silently watched Allison happily skip around her room with a goofy smile on her face. She hadn't seen her sister since she had dropped her off at the station so she had absolutely no idea what had happened to make the eldest Argent so happy.

"Nice shirt"

Caroline commented with a smirk noticing that her sister was definitely not wearing one of her own shirts. Allison jumped back startled, the smile being replaced by an embarrassed giggle causing Caroline to frown. Allison didn't giggle for just anything.

"Thanks, I just found it in one of my old boxes"

She lied airily waving a nonchalant hand in the air but Caroline was quick to catch her lie, her blue eyes making Allison squirm slightly under their intensity.

"Unless you're shopping at the mens' section of…"

She took bold steps towards the brunet, cutting her sentence short as she pulled the shirts label with her finger tips and read it over.

"H&M that is definitely not your shirt"

The blonde finished her sentence earning a swat from her older sister as the girl jumped over fallen boxes and pulled her into her room, quickly shutting the door.

"Spill"

Was all the blonde had to say before her sister lapsed into a rushed explanation of what had happened and where the shirt came from.

"Okay so I ran over this dog which appeared out of nowhere and it was hell trying to get it in dads trunk but I finally got it in and there's this small vet clinic by that coffee shop, Stella's, that you like so much so I went there and then I was crying and panicking and guess who opens the door"

Allison stopped talking and waited expectantly for her sisters answer and thankfully since Caroline was quite used to her sisters rambling she was able to understand the gibberish that was coming out of her mouth.

"The vet?"

"Nope. Scott freaking McCall opens the door. Apparently he works there and he patched up the dogs leg and since I was soaked from the literal down pour he offered the spare shirt in his bag which was just so adorably thoughtful and he asked me to go to the party with him"

Allison finished, the goofy smile still etched on her face and Caroline squealed like a little child as she tackled her sister onto the bed both girls falling back as laughs erupted from their mouth. So Scott had actually listened to her and taken her advice, who knew the boy actually had the guts. So the blonde was partially happy for her sister but she was also thrilled because now she was going to the party and Caroline loved to party. Call it an occupational stress reliever, if there was a party than she was definitely there. The rest of the night Caroline spent with her sister, both girls making plans and gossiping about the school day, and it was right there that the blonde fell asleep, under her sisters blankets with a smile on her face.


	6. Chapter Five

" _Nothing is more frightening than a fear you cannot name"  
-_Cornelia Funke

 **Chapter Five**

Another school day had passed in what seemed like a dull blur of nothingness but the good news was that the party was later on and Caroline was thrilled, she needed the distraction. Her father was once again nagging her about her fighting skills and working her to literal dust because her whole body ached. She was also supposed to meet Isaac after school to work on their project but Lydia had pulled her away before she even got a chance to say goodbye to the boy, saying that it was absolutely necessary she join both her and Allison to lacrosse try outs. So there she was, sandwiched between the strawberry blonde and a smiling Allison, she was definitely not happy with the outcome of her day.

Coach Finnstock was shouting something at the players down on the field and the blonde didn't miss the small wave her sister sent Scott which just made her roll her eyes, they were so sweet it was kind of gross. She was not so happily sulking about life while both Allison and Lydia talked her ear off when she caught sight of Stiles on the bench, his eyes watching her and when he noticed she was looking at him he quickly waved, a dimpled smile making its way across his face. Caroline waved back and despite being in a sour mood she actually returned with a genuine smile of her own, sticking her thumbs up in order to wish him good luck.

"Who's that?"

Allison whispered with a sly smile watching her sister with teasing eyes but Caroline just rolled her eyes.

"That is Stiles and he is best friends with the boy you keep eye sexing"

She responded crisply making a blush instantly light up her sisters' face as she backed away from the strangely annoyed girl. Caroline wasn't sure why but she'd been having mood swings all day long, one moment she was fine and the next she was holding herself back from punching someone senseless just because they breathed funny. Poor Greenburg got the short end of the stick during study hall when he sneezed a little too loudly and she snapped at him. Of course she apologized but the fact that everything had her on high alert was starting to annoy her.

She fixed her eyes on the game that was about to start as Allison nudged her excitedly and she had to suppress a groan, she didn't need to take her bad mood out on her sister too. As all of the players battled for the ball and Scott was thrown to the side she felt an overwhelming anger hit her like a train but the feeling went as quick as it came, turning into pure drive and she realized that whatever the hell she was feeling it was coming from Scott as he ducked, twirled and easily maneuvered out of the other players grasp. It was a feeling so intense and powerful that it reverberated throughout her body. It was like an itch she couldn't scratch, much like when she suffered from insomnia where her whole body felt so alive she thought she'd combust.

From the field Scott made a winning shot, everyone including her sister and Lydia jumping up to congratulate him but Caroline only frowned. She could see coach talking to him and a wide smile spread across his face, her frown only deepening when she felt the need to smile echoing in her own body, almost like a chain reaction from the boy all the way on the field.

"Alright come on girlies we've got a party to get ready to"

Lydia announced with a smile as she pulled on Caroline's wrist and the blonde let herself be guided, her mind lost in thought as she tried keeping up with the conversation going on in front of her but all she could focus on was a nagging voice in the back of her head warning her that it was happening again. She had somehow linked herself to Scott McCall.

"Is that my shirt?"

Caroline asked as she leaned on the doorframe to her sister's room. Allison had half a mind to look guilty but it quickly morphed into an innocent smile as she pushed past her sister, half skipping towards the bathroom.

"Not tonight it isn't"

Caroline rolled her eyes playfully as her sister passed, she was very used to Allison roaming through her stuff in order to find something to wear because usually the brunet's wardrobe consisted of simple, casual clothes that didn't really stand out and so it was only logical that she invaded her younger sister's wardrobe in search of more 'wild' clothing.

"Caroline I need a word"

Chris ordered as he motioned with his head for the blonde to follow him and she obliged silently knowing what her father was going to say. It was the same talk every time the sisters went out somewhere at night, she was actually surprised that he'd agreed to let them go considering it was a full moon.

"Are you prepared?"

He asked simply as he shut the door to his upstairs study room, arms crossing over his chest as he stared his youngest daughter down and she nodded.

"Two Chinese daggers and the Winchester's colt knife"

She answered easily, both the daggers in each of her boots while the colt knife was tucked safely in the waist band of her red pants. He nodded satisfied at her answer.

"Keep your eyes sharp and watch out for your sister. If anything happens I'll call you so have your phone ready"

She only nodded, receiving his instructions like she always did before going out, it was always the same speech but she held it like a mantra: _'Eyes sharp, sister safe and phone at the ready',_ it was her own little song. Allison's voice called her name from the other side of the door telling her that Scott had arrived to pick them up. With a quick nod of her head Caroline exited her father's study without another word, nothing more needed to be said anyways. She followed after her sister and entered the car, making herself comfortable in the back seat as Allison took up the front.

"Hey Caroline"

Scott greeted with a shy smile as he looked back at her and she returned the smile, liking the way his eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked at her sister, a real love struck puppy.

"So I promise I'll get out of your hair as soon as we reach the party and you can have Alli _all_ to yourself Scott"

She announced with a tiny little smirk, her sister glaring daggers at her from the front as Scott choked on his own words as he caught on to her double meaning. They truly were too cute.

The party was already bursting with people as they made their way inside, the loud music shaking the walls around them as drunken teenager swayed their bodies to the rhythm from every single corner in the house. Caroline soon lost both her sister and Scott, not wanting to be the third wheel and she managed to find Lydia at some point but the strawberry blonde was off in the blink of an eye to dance with her own boyfriend so Caroline was left to mingle on her own. She had downed at least three cups of mystery drinks which consisted mostly of vodka and little to no energizer so she was definitely the least bit altered. She kept a close watch on her sister, smiling as both Allison and Scott seemed lost in their own world and as she turned around not wanting to invade their personal moment, she searched the party for familiar faces her blue eyes landing on a very gorgeous and very familiar looking guy in a leather jacket. His eyes were trained on her and she wasn't too sure where she knew him from but either ways she sent him a flirtatious wave of her hands before turning around to grab another drink.

She had successfully told four guys in a not so nice way to get lost as they tried hitting on her or getting her to the dance floor, she wasn't the type of girl that liked getting hit on, especially not by drunken frat guys from Jackson's lacrosse team but she didn't let the irritation get to her, well at least she was trying because she truly felt that if one more person tried hitting on her again she was bound to snap. She stopped swinging her body to the rhythm long off to perch herself on the kitchen counter, out of breath and slightly impatient as she looked at the laughing people around her. It had been awhile since she had danced so much and her feet were slowly starting to sting inside of her high heeled boots, her mood also taking a nice pummel down hill the longer she stayed still. Her body had been humming with unwanted energy ever since that morning but now it really did seem like she was going to self ignite and combust into oblivion so she pulled a bottle of whiskey from a passerby, ignoring the girls dirty looks and downed the bottle, the liquid burning its way down her throat.

"You look kind of lonely"

Someone spoke from beside her and she was about to flip the guy the middle finger but she realized it was only Stiles so she visibly relaxed, giving the boy a tight lip smile.

"I prefer it this way"

She informed and the boy deflated, taken back by her harsh tone and she instantly regretted her words. Her roller coaster emotions were still all over the place but it wasn't his fault.

"Sorry just hasn't been the best of days"

He nodded knowingly with a smile, whiskey eyes trailing over her face, his hands itching to touch the silky smooth skin but he held himself back not having enough courage to actually do it.

"Maybe I can help you with that"

He affirmed with one of his sweet boy smiles and maybe it was the alcohol talking or the fact that his lips looked so god dam kissable from her place by the wall but she felt the sudden overwhelming need to press her lips against his.

"Maybe you can"

She agreed, her blue eyes darkening under flashing lights and she felt her body tilting towards his just a smidge and she watched as his eyes dipped down to her lips as she bit down on it, the boy visibly swallowing the knot in his throat. She wanted fun but it was more than that, she wanted to have fun with Stiles Stilinski.

"Alright come on, dance with me"

She left no room for argument as she linked their hands, pulling him towards the dance floor, drinks forgotten as they made their way through the crowd. Some unknown song blasted through the speakers around them and she felt a laugh bubbling from deep within her chest as they found a spot, the awkward boy's hands lingering on her waist as she pulled him close by the neck, her body dangerously close to his. He seemed a little out of place, unsure of himself but one look into her blue eyes told him she wanted this as much as he did and he found the courage to actually dance, hands holding her close as their bodies swayed to the music. He was sure he was dreaming, there was no way a girl like Caroline would want to dance with him but as her captivating laugh echoed above the music he was slowly letting go of his insecurities.

"Let's go"

She broke apart from him for an instant, fingers interlocking with his own as she managed to pull him off the dance floor, leading him to a quieter hallway. She leaned up against the wall, fingers hooking around the belt loop of his pants as she pulled him into her, his height towering well above her small frame as he stared down at the beautiful blonde trapped between his body and the wall. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do but he didn't have time to think about it as she pushed herself up on her toes, her warm lips pressing gently against his own. His eyes widened for a split second, his mind freezing like it always did in the worst possible moments as always but the look she gave him as she pulled away was the only thing he needed to propel himself to crash his lips back onto hers. He could taste the alcohol on her lips and for a second his self-doubt returned and he couldn't help but wonder if maybe this was the alcohol taking.

"God I love those lips"

She murmured against his mouth, a humming sound escaping his lips as he agreed absentmindedly. Her back was now pressed against a lone wooden table that decorated the hallway of Lydia's house, the handles digging uncomfortably into her back and so guiding his hands down to her under legs she wordlessly instructed him to lift her up on the table, never breaking the kiss. He was now in between her legs, pressed so close to her that his body was hyperaware of the few pieces of clothing separating their skin. She felt so soft, warm and alive under his touch that he felt drunk just by breathing her in. Her hands undid the tie wrapped around his neck, loosening the top button before running down his chest and sliding under the shirt to run her nails along the soft flesh of his stomach. He felt goosebumps rise across every inch of his skin, a soft groan escaping his lips as she dug her nails a little harder into his back and she smirked into the kiss.

She felt so good there pressed up against him and it had been awhile since she'd been really interested in someone and this socially awkward boy made her body feel like fire as he trailed hungry kisses along her neck and exposed collarbone. She was so lost in the feeling of his hands on her stomach that it took her a latent second to fully feel the impact of a head splitting pain that made her recoil, hands digging into her scalp as she pulled back.

"Hey, hey what's wrong?"

Stiles asked panicked as he watched the girl contort herself in pain, her black fingernails almost drawing blood from how hard she was actually pressing them into her skin. She didn't answer, she'd felt the same pain before, two years ago to be more exact and so without so much as a goodbye she quickly jumped off the table and made her way to the center of the party, trying desperately to get to open air. She never saw him coming but Scott emerged from the outside just as she reached the living room, their bodies colliding against each other for a second and it was in that second that golden eyes flashed at her and she stilled her body, willing the pain away. She raced after him, barely aware that both Allison and Stiles were chasing after them. She felt the cold nights air hit her face just as Scott's car pulled out of the driveway and mustering all the strength she could she turned her attention to a conflicted Stiles.

"Go after him and make sure he's okay"

Stiles nodded and sprinted towards his jeep, barely slamming the door shut as he pulled out of the driveway.

"Care are you okay?"

Allison asked worriedly as she approached her sisters slightly shaking form, sweat dripping down her face as she paled with every ticking second, she just wanted to go home.

"Hey you must be Allison and Caroline. I'm Derek, Scott's friend, he just texted asking me to take you girls home"

Both Argent girls swiveled around to look at a tall, handsome man in a black leather jacket smiling down at them as he held a key in his hand. It was the same man Caroline had seen earlier in the party and the same feeling of familiarity washed over her, calming the raging pain for a split second as they both accepted his offer. Allison climbed in the back while Caroline slumped in the front seat, hands still pressed to her forehead. She could hear Allison conversing with the strange man but kept to herself, if she really concentrated she could make the pain disappear. Thankfully the ride from Lydia's wasn't too long and as soon as they reached their house Allison was jumping out from the backseat, thanking Derek with a smile while Caroline struggled to pull herself out.

"See you around witchy"

Derek said as he watched the blonde with a knowing smirk on his face and she frowned looking at him in confusion at his words.

"Come on Care"

Allison called from the front door and the blonde finally pulled herself from the passage seat. Derek took off, tires screeching as he raced down the empty street of their neighborhood. Allison for Caroline, concern etched on her face at the blonde's scrunched up face but she straightened up before Allison could do anything, the blonde swallowing the head splitting pain as she smiled at her sister and made her way up the stairs to her room. She knew something was wrong and that it was connected to Scott.

As she splashed cold water on her face she slowly began connecting the dots. Scott had been the boy she dreamt about just before school that Monday, he was the boy bitten in the woods and that meant that her father was currently hunting the poor boy down while he had no control because of the full moon. But what scared her the most was the fact that she had somehow connected herself to Scott and that the full moon was having the same painful effect on her and that she was feeling everything he was. How that was possible she wasn't even near close to understanding. She didn't know how she could do that or why that even happened, all she knew was that it had happened two years ago with two people she cared for dearly and that her grandfather had nearly killed her for it. She felt truly scared as she leaned on the bathroom sink, her eyes staring at her reflection in the mirror. What was she?

The loud shrill doorbell rang pulling her out of her thoughts and a minute later her mother was calling her from the bottom of the stairs. She made her way out of the bathroom, joining her sister on the railing, eyes looking over at Stiles standing outside of her home before frowning. She quickly made her way down the stairs, ignoring how her brain seemed to shake inside her skull with each step and reached the door with a confused frown.

"I was just making sure you got home okay"

He explained quickly seeing her confused expression and from behind him she realized that her father's car wasn't in the drive way. Something was definitely wrong and she was certain that if she didn't find Scott he'd be dead by morning.

"I need you to meet me down the road in five so we can go find Scott"

She ordered and watched as he nodded dumbly and she gave him a quick smile before shutting the door. Her mother was nowhere to be seen and her sister although intrigued was making her way back to her room. Caroline wasted no time as she ran up the stairs and pulled her crop top off as she entered her room, pulling on whatever shirt was on the floor as she kicked off her boots. She finished lacing her sneakers up before approaching the window and carefully pushing it open. Much to her dismay her room faced her back yard but the good news was that there was a large willow tree just outside her window, its' branches almost reaching her so it was easy to push herself off the window sill and climb down the tree. Stiles was waiting right where she told him to go and she climbed into the jeep making him jump up startled.

"We need to find Scott now before they kill him"

Was all she said and it was all she needed to say for Stiles to floor it, the tires screeching against the asphalt.

So Caroline turned out to be right about Scott, he was the newly turned betta much to her dismay and she was also linked to the boy apparently since she felt it when her father had shot an arrow through his forearm and it just served to confuse her. She managed to pull him away just in time before her dad and the other hunters finished him off but before they made it back to the jeep they ran into Derek, who apparently was also a werewolf and Caroline still didn't know where she knew him from. Both Stiles and Scott had a world of questions and they were even more curious as to how she knew about all of it but she remained quiet, she made a quick decision to keep herself away from both boys because she didn't need a repeat of what happened two years ago. Climbing back into her bedroom was an easy task so she barely even broke a sweat but she was certainly not expecting to find a sleeping Allison on her bed when she jumped on the soft mattress. The brunet had let out a startled yelp as the blondes body collided against hers and Caroline quickly place her hand over her sisters mouth to shut her up.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

She asked confused as to why Allison was sleeping in her bed and not her own which was just across the hall but the eldest Argent just rolled her eyes.

"Next time you sneak out to sex some guy up give me a heads up so I know that I have to cover for your lame ass"

She complained before throwing herself under the covers again making Caroline laugh. So she hadn't exactly gone out to hook up with some random guy but rather save her sisters boyfriends newly turned wolf ass. But still she was thankful for her sister at that given moment so she silently stripped off her dirt ridden clothes and climbed in under the covers, welcoming sleep with open arms as the first signs of a bad hangover slowly edged its' way into her conscious mind. She'd sleep all weekend if she could after the previous day's event, especially if it meant ignoring Scott and Stile who she felt would be her problem to fix. She sighed before finally allowing darkness to envelope her, images of bloody battles and women in white filling her mind.


End file.
